Eight export processing zones of BEPZA have exported at 19.66 per cent growth rate, hitting all-time record high in the fiscal year (FY) 2017-18.
A total of 476 operational enterprises of the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) exported goods worth US$ 7.20 billion in the recently ended fiscal year FY18.
At the same time, the country’s total national export reached $36.66 billion, said a statement.
Previously, the highest export-earning from the enterprises was $6.67 billion in FY 2015-16, and the highest contribution of BEPZA to the national export was 19.59 per cent in FY 2014-15.
According to the annual performance agreement (APA), a yearly target based agreement signed with Prime Minister’s Office, the country’s export target was fixed at $6.20 billion for the lat fiscal.
However, the eight enterprises of the export processing zones exported goods worth $7.20 billion in the previous fiscal.
Among them, Chittagong EPZ earned $2.44 billion, Dhaka EPZ $2.20 billion, Karnaphuli EPZ $0.97 billion, Adamjee EPZ $0.76 billion, Comilla EPZ $0.40 billion, Mongla EPZ $53.13 million, Ishwardi EPZ $131.42 million and Uttara EPZ $224.91 million.
The cumulative export earnings from the eight EPZs stand at $66.57 billion till June 2018, and the cumulative investment stands at $4.68 billion in the same period.
The BEPZA also exceeded investment and employment target in the FY18 set by the APA.
The operational and under construction enterprises of the EPZs have attracted $339.54 million investment against the target of $325 million.
The BEPZA created job opportunities for 21,726 Bangladeshi nationals in the FY18 while their target was to create 19,500 job opportunities.
Currently, approximately 5,02,013 people are working in the eight EPZs of the country as of June 2018.
